Spring-starter for automobile-engines.



H. KOCOUREK.

SPRING STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILE ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC-29. I9I6- RENEWED AUG. 2h I9I8- LQSOQQL Patented 001;. 1, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. KOCOUREK. SPRING STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILE ENGINES. APPLICATION man 050.29, 1916. RENEWED AUG. -21. 1918.

LQSQQQL Patented 0601,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 HENRY KOCOUREK, or JERSEY CITY, New JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE nssrem MEN'IS, T0 LEANDER H. LA CHANGE AND MARTIN TAYLOR, nmvrmrsrnn'rons or JOHN K. STEWART, DECEASED.

SPRING-STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILE-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Met. 1, 1918..

Application filed December 29, 1916, Serial No. 139,451. Renewed August 21, 1918. Serial No. 250,891.

ing is a specification, reference-being had to" the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. a 1 1 The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction in the spring motorwindingtrain and other features of a spring motor of, the. general character suitable for a spring starter for automobile engines. It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an axial section of a spring starter embodying the features of this invention. a

Fig. 2 is a section at the line, 2+2, on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section at the line, 3-3, on Fig. 1. I a i The general construction of the "motor shown in the drawingsisnot herein claimed as my inventioinbut only the certain details of construction as will bespeci fically pointed out in connection with such brief description of thegentral structure as necessary to the etary gear train bywhic the motor spring is wound from the power shaft, 2, said planetar gear train being a speed reducing train and having a master gear, 6, which is necessarily locked at rest in order to effect the winding, said locking being effected by a strap brake, 7, of familiar construction,

having its shoes 8 engaging the V-shaped groove in the periphery of said master gear. The drawings show in a general way at 12.

one-way drive clutch connections between the spring mount or drum, 5, and the power shaft, 2, through which the spring in uncolling rotates said power shaft and other details ofconstruction adapting the device to the purpose as a starter, which. is to have itsmotor spring wound by the running of the shaft whicliit starts by means of the clutch device partially shown at 20 and 21 and 22,1 0)? engaging the spring-winding drum, 5, with the central power and windin shaft, 2. These details of construction will not be specifically described, even though appearing in the drawings, except Where necessary to the understanding of the specific features which constitute this invention.

The speed-reducing train from the shaft, 2, to the motor spring, 3, is a planetary gear train, as above stated, comprising the prime gear, 11, which when Winding is clutched to the shaft, 2, by a one-way driving clutch whose engagement isseen at 12, said gear, 11, meshing with the planet pinion, 14, which in turn mesheswith the two internal gears,

one of whichis the master gear, 6, above mentioned,uand the other the final driven gear, 5*, above mentioned, of the same diameter at thev gear pitch line, but differing in thenumber of their teeth by one, so thatwhen the master gearis locked at rest by the brakeyl', the rotation of the shaft, 2, causes the planet pinion,14;,to travel around i the axis of said shaft in the annular interval between said planet gear, 11, and the internally geared members,;:'6: and 5, the difference of one in the number of theteeth on said internally geared members causing the final driven gear, 5*, to revolve invthe A reverse direction from the shaft a distance the speed of said shaft, 2, to Wind up the 1 spring. It is a vital principle in structures of this character and for the like purpose that the elements of the gear train encompassing the power shaft are not journaled upon that shaft, but are journaled so that their weight is carried, and the stress of their movements is borne, directly by the casing, leaving the central Winding and power shaft free from any pressure which would bind it in its bearings, so that it is at all times free to move endwise while rotating either in Winding or" in being rotated by the spring. Similarly it is desirable that the intermediate elements of the train shall be so journaled and supported as not to impose pressure upon each other; audit is particularly important that thebrake which is applied to the master gear for holding it at rest during Winding shall not cause the master gear, by reason of the pressure of the brake upon it to experience any crowding toward or against the interior elements of the planetary train, such, for example, as

that which would result if the pressure of the brake could crowd the. master gear out of its perfectly concentric position with respect to the prime gear, 11, so that the planetary pinion, 14, would at one sideof its orbit be pinched or bound tightly between said prime-gear, l1, and the master gear, while at the other side it would have undue play between the two. In order to efi'ectua-lly prevent such binding action upon the train by the stress of the brake acting 011 the master gear, I provide the master gear with ball bearings in the casing, at two trans-axial planes at opposite sides of the plane of brake strap, such ball bearings being so positioned that the stress upon the ball seats is experiencedin directly transaXial plane, that is, without any side thrust; which insures themaster gear against any lateral tipping or displacement which might crampthetrain at any part andalso insures that the full stress of the brake in clamping the master gear is transmitteddirectly to the case and is not transmitted to any of the intermediate or cooperating parts of the H train, which aretherebyrendered certain to maintain their proper relations to the master gear and to each other forutlieir. free cooperation with each other both in thelwinda ing and in the driving action. The two ball bearings referred to are shown at 15 and 16,

respectively, the balls at 15 obtaining their i inner circumferential seat upon the outer circumference of an annular flange, 6, on the: back of the master gear, and the balls of the bearing, 16, obtainingtheir seat on the master gear upon an outwardly-facing 1 shoulder, 6, at the opposite sideof the masvent any pinching of the planet pinion, 14, between the said final gear and the prime tergear from said annular flange, 6*. .The concentric relation of the final driven gear, 5, with respect to the master gear, 6, which it is necessary to preserve in order to pregear, 11, is insured by providing said final driven gear, 5 with a ball bearing at 17, upon the inner circumference of the same annular flange, 6 upon whose outer circumference the balls of the bearings, 15, are seated. And similarly the concentric relation of the final driven gear with the planet gear, 11, is insured by providing ball bearings between the two at 18, in the same directly trans-axial plane with the ball bearings, 17, and the ball bearings, 15, so that all pressures operating laterally upon any of the three elements thus concentrically situated are received and transmitted in the same trans-axial plane, directly outward to i the casing, avoiding any liability of deflection of any of the parts out of theirtruew planes by reason sures.

I claim i of these stresses or pres- 1. In a spring n'i-otor comprising a casing,

a central power-shaft, a motor spring and a planetary gear train for winding the spring from the central power shaft, incombination' casing and encompassing the master gear for looking it at rest during winding, the master gear having exteriorly thereof bearings on the casing at opposite sides of the transaxial plane of the brake band.

3. In a spring motor'comprising a casing,

. a central powershaft, a motor spring and a planetary gear speed-reducing train for winding the spring from'the'central powershaft, in combination with the master gear of the planetary train, a brake-band secured to the casing encompassing the master gear for locking itat rest during winding the master gear having exteriorly: thereof ball hearings on the casing at opposite: sides of the transaxialplane ofthe brake band, and thefinal driving gear of the speed reducing train having exteriorly of said final gear, bearingsin the master gear, saidb'earings being in the transa-Xial plane of-one of the bearings ofthe master gear on the 038111 In a spring motor comprising aeasing,

a central power shaft, a motori'springand a planetary speed-reducing gear train for winding the spring from the icentral power, shaft, in combination with the casing and the master gear of the planetary. gear train,

a brake-band secured to the casing encomtrain on the inner circumference of said passing the master gear for locking it at flange of the master gear, said two bearings rest during Winding, the master gear having being in the same trans-axial plane.

an annular flange at one side, bearings fer In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set the master gear on the casing at the outer myihand this 24th day of November, 1916. circumference of said annular flange, bearings for the final gear of the speed-reducing HENRY KOCOUREK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

